Multi spindle automatic lathe

Abstract

 The present invention provides a multi spindle automatic lathe, wherein said automatic lathe (11) comprises a spindle carrier (12) mounted so as to be freely rotatable in an indexing fashion relative to a head stock (13) and having a plurality of works supported to be freely rotatably driven on the same circumference, and a plurality of tool slides each of which is positioned around said spindle carrier in accordance with each of these spindles and arranged on said head stock to be freely reciprocable in dual directions, one direction in parallel with the axis of the spindle and other direction intersecting the axis of the spindle, said tool slides (15) having a tool loaded on said spindle carrier (12) respectively for processing said work.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi spindle automatic lathe adapted to continuously process a plurality of works while causing the works to be rotated in an indexing fashion, particularly for the purpose of improving the processing efficiency and reduce the overall dimensions of the lathe.

[0002] In a continuous processing operation for the rod-like works while a plurality of tools is being exchanged one after another, a multi spindle automatic lathe has been used, wherein the lathe comprises a spindle carrier mounted so as to be freely rotatable in an indexing fashion relative to a head stock, and a plurality of spindles each of which is mounted to be freely rotatable about the indexing rotation center of the spindle carrier and having a work loaded thereon respectively.

[0003] That is, each of works is loaded on the respective spindle of the multi spindle lathe and is processed simultaneously in each of the work stations provided in the corresponding number to the number of spindles. Upon the processing operation for the work being completed at each of the stations, the spindle carrier is caused to rotate in an indexing fashion so that each of works may be processed sequentially at a plurality of work stations

[0004] The construction of such multi spindle automatic lathe in the prior art will be described in details hereinbelow, with reference to Fig. 4 which illustrates the conception of such automatic lathe and Fig. 5 which illustrates its spindle carrier in a cut-away view.

[0005] Illustrated in these drawings are a head stock 101 for the multi spindle automatic lathe and a spindle carrier 102 which is mounted to be freely rotatable in an indexing fashion relative to the head stock 101. A driving shaft 105 extends through the center of the spindle carrier 102 via bearings 106 to be freely rotatable relative to the head stock 101 and the spindle carrier 102. The above-described driving shaft 105 is coupled with a driving motor (not shown) via a reduction gear 104 which is incorporated in a column 103.

[0006] The above-described spindle carrier 102 is provided with a plurality of hollow spindles 107 each of which surrounds and is arranged to be parallel with the driving shaft 105.

[0007] A spacing between the driving shaft 105 and each of spindles 107 is designed to be equal with a spacing between each of adjacent spindles 107, and the rotary indexing angle of the spindle carrier 102 for every run is designed to correspond with the number of the spindle 107 to be mounted on the spindle carriers 102.

[0008] Fixed at the rear end of the driving shaft 105 is a driving gear 109 which may simultaneously engage a follower gear 108 fixed at the rear end of each of the spindles 107, and all of the spindles 107 are made to be rotatable in the same direction as the driving shaft 105 is driven to rotate.

[0009] Additionally, a circular rod-like work W which penetrates through each of the spindles 107 and has its distal portion to be processed extended beyond the tip end of the spindle 107 is supported in position on the spindle 107 by means of a collet 110 attached to the spindle 107 respectively.

[0010] In each of the work stations of the number corresponding to the number of the spindles 107 to be attached, there are arranged a cross tool slide 111 movable in a direction (i.e., in an upper and downward direction in Fig.4) in which it may intersect with the driving shaft 105, and an end tool slide 112 shiftable in a direction parallel with the driving shaft 105 (i.e., in a lateral direction in Fig. 4). These slides 111 and 112 are selectively arranged in accordance with the feeding direction of the processing tool 113 loaded on these slides for the lathe turning operation.

[0011] The cross tool slide 111 is attached to the side of the head stock 101, whereas the end tool slide 112 is attached to the side of the column 103 against which the head stock 101 opposes.

[0012] The processing tools 113 loaded on these tools slides are used in the lathe-turning, milling or drilling and thread-forming operations and the like to be performed for the works, and a cutter is shown as loaded on the end tool slide 112 in the illustrated embodiment, whereas a rotary tool such as a drill and the like is shown as loaded on the end tool slide 112.

[0013] In the multi spindle automatic lathe constituted as above, a work W is previously contained on a stock reel 114 provided in the rearward (in the left-ward direction in Fig. 5) of the multi spindle automatic lathe, and then the work W is caused to penetrate through the spindle 107 freely rotatably attached on the spindle carrier 102 and project into a tooling zone 115 defined between the head stock 101 and the column 103. The work W is subject to various machining operations everywhen the spindle carrier 102 makes a rotary indexing movement.

[0014] In the traditional multi spindle automatic lathe of the type as described and illustrated in Fig. 4 and 5, while the cross tool slide 111 movable in the direction in which it may intersect with the axis of the spindle 107 is mounted on the side of the head stock, the end tool slide 112 shiftable in a direction in parallel with the axis of the spindle 107 is arranged at the side of the column against which the head stock 101 opposes with the tooling zone sandwiched therebetween.

[0015] Consequently, an operator had to frequently access the multe spindle automatic lathe from its front or back portions to replace the processing tool 113 where it is required to load or unload the processing tool 113 relative to each of the tool slides 111 and 112. This means the occurance of a problem that an operating efficiency is significantly reduced.

[0016] Moreover, because a separate feed driving mechanism is provided for each of tool slides 111 and 112 independently on the head stock 101 and the column 103, there was another problem that the entire lathe was enlarged in dimensions, and furthermore each of the tool slides 111 and 112 can merely move in a single direction with a result that the processing freedom of the lathe was limited.

[0017] Thus, for the multi spindle automatic lathe having a plurality of spindles which are parallel each other, it has been desirable that each of tool slides and a feed driving mechanism which affords a feeding movement to the tool slides are designed to be compact as much as possible in order to facilitate the exchange of the processing tools and ensure a smooth removal of chips.

[0018] In particular, the tool slide and its driving mechanism with a compact construction is in a desperate need for the traditional multi spindle automatic lathe wherein respective tools slides must be arranged to a plurality of spindles each of which is arranged in an annular configuration, because such lathe inherently does not allow an ample operating space.

[0019] With the above-described as a background, it is the object of the present invention to provide a compact multi spindle automatic lathe which is adapted to process a work continuously while causing the work to be rotated in an indexing fashion, and which can improve an operating efficiency and reduce its overall dimensions among others.

[0020] In accordance with the present invention this object is solved by a multi spindle automatic lathe comprising a spindle carrier mounted so as to be freely rotatable in an indexing fashion relative to a head stock, a plurality of spindles each of which is mounted to be freely rotatable about the indexing center of the spindle carrier and has a work loaded thereon respectively, and a plurality of tool slides each of which is positioned around said spindle carrier in accordance with each of these spindles and arranged on said head stock to be freely reciprocable in dual directions, one direction in parallel with the axis of the spindle and other direction intersecting the axis of the spindle, said tool slides having a tool loaded on said spindle carrier respectively to process said work.

[0021] The above-described tool slide comprises a plurality of sliding shafts each of which is mounted on said head stock to be freely reciprocable in a direction parallel with the axis of the spindle, and a plurality of tool holders each of which is attached on the distal end of the sliding shaft to be freely reciprocable in a direction against which said spindle moves, and a plurality of tool holders each of which has the tool loaded on said spindle to process the work.

[0022] In accordance with the multi spindle automatic lathe built as above-described, a plurality of works each of which is supported in position on the spindle of the spindle carrier is caused to rotate together with the spindle, and a plurality of tool slides each of which is arranged on the head stock in such a manner that tool slides may surround the spindle carrier slide in a direction in parallel with the axis of each of spindles or in a direction intersecting with the axis of the spindle, and thereby permitting the processing tool attached on the tool slide to process the work as predetermined.

[0023] In accordance with the multi spindle automatic lathe of the present invention, a plurality of tool slides upon which processing tools are loaded is arranged on the head stock upon which the spindle carrier is attached for supporting a plurality of spindles to be freely rotatable, and these tool slides are made to be shiftable in a direction normal to the axis of the spindle upon which the work is loaded and also in a direction parallel with the axis of the spindle. This arrangement may allow the lathe to provide an increased freedom during the processing operation and permit a complicated processing operation to be carried out easily and at an increased rate, while at the same time ensuring a remarkable reduction in dimensions along with an improved operating efficiency.

[0024] The invention will be described in detail on the basis of the drawings showing one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 1

is a lateral side view illustrating the general configuration of the multi spindle automatic lathe;

Fig. 2

is a front elevation of a portion of the head stock of the automatic lathe;

Fig. 3

is a cross-sectional view along the line III-III;

Fig. 4

is a lateral side view illustrating the general construction of a known multi spindle automatic lathe; and

Fig. 5

is a cut-away view illustrating the general construction of a portion of the spindle carrier of the automatic lathe of Fig. 4.

[0025] The multi spindle automatic lathe in accordance with the present invention will be described in detail hereinbelow, with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, wherein one embodiment of the multi spindle automatic lathe is illustrated as embodied as a six-spindles automatic lathe and being used to process a circular rod-like material. Fig. 1 illustrates a general configuration of the automatic lathe, whereas Fig. 2 illustrates a front configuration of the head stock of the lathe.

[0026] This automatic lathe body 11 is provided at its front portion with the head stock 13 which supports the spindle carrier 12 to be freely rotatable in an indexing fashion. The above-described spindle carrier is provided with six spindles each of which is arranged with an equal spacing relative to an adjacent one in an annular configuration, each of these spindles being drivably rotatable. The circular rod-like work W is held on each of these spindles 14. In the meantime, the essential construction of this portion is identical with that of the traditional lathe as shown in Fig. 5. Arranged around the spindle carrier 12 is six tool slides 15 the number of which is selected depending on the number of spindles 14, and each of which is attached on the head stock 12.

[0027] As illustrated in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 which shows a crosssectional view along the line III-III in Fig. 2, the head stock 13 which is arranged around the spindle carrier 12 is provided with a sliding guide cylinder 16 which forms a rectangular cylindrical-shape and fixed in position via bolts respectively. A sliding shaft 18 of rectangular crosssection is freely slidably engaged with each of the sliding guide cylinder 16. Threadably engaged with the rear end portion of the each of the sliding shafts which positions in the head stock 13 is the male thread portion 22 of the feed threaded shaft 21 supported in position to be freely rotatable relative to the head stock 13 by means of bearing 20 via a bearing metal 19. By reversibly rotating a feed gear 23 provided on the rear end of the feed threaded shaft 21 by means of the first feeding drive motor (not shown) via power transmission means (not shown), all sliding shafts 18 may be shifted simultaneously in the vertical direction in Fig. 3.

[0028] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, a wedge-like gib 24 is provided in a clearance between the sliding guide cylinder 16 and the sliding shaft 18, the gib 24 serving to adjust the fitting clearance of the sliding shaft 18 relative to the sliding guide cylinder 16.

[0029] A rectangular cylindrical-shaped tool holder guide cylinder 25 which extends in a direction normal to a direction in which these sliding shafts slide is formed at the distal end side of the sliding shaft 18 integrally with the sliding shaft 18.

[0030] A tool holder of rectangular cross-section engages the spindle 14 side of one tool holder guide cylinder 25 to be freely slidable, and a processing tool 27 such as a cutter and the like which performs a predetermined operation against the works W supported on the spindle 14 respectively is exchangeably loaded on the distal portion of the each of the tool holder 26.

[0031] In the meantime, in the case that the processing tool 27 used is a rotary tool such as a drill and the like, it may be more convenient to use tool holder of the type incorporating a driving motor and couple the rotary tool with the driving motor of this tool holder.

[0032] Secured on the proximal end portion of the tool holder 26 which is positioned in the above-described tool holder guide cylinder 25 is a nut 32 which may threadably engage with a male thread portion 30 formed on the distal end side of the feeding threaded shaft 29 which is in turn freely rotatably supported in the tool holder guide cylinder 25 via bearings 28 respectively. Coupled with each of these feeding threaded shafts 29 at its proximal end portion is a second feed driving motor 32 which is in turn attached on the end of the tool holder guide cylinder 25 which opposes against the processing tool 27. By actuating these second feed driving motors 32 to reversibly rotate the threaded shaft 29, the tool holder 26 can be fed and shifted in the lateral directions in Fig. 3 together with the processing tool 27.

[0033] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, these second feed driving motors 32 are provided with a pulse-coder 33 respectively to detect a rotary phase and the number of rotations of the feeding threaded shaft 29, so that a position of the processing tool 27 relative to the work W may be detected.

[0034] In accordance with the multi cylinder automatic lathe of the present invention which is constructed as described above, as the spindle carrier 12 rotates in an indexing fashion, each of the works W held on the spindle 14 of the spindle carrier 12 is positioned in the work station which is aligned with the processing tool 27 of the tool slide 15.

[0035] The work W is thus drivably rotated together with the spindle 14 by means of driving means (not shown) incorporated in the automatic lathe 11.

[0036] By actuating either the first feed driving motor (not shown) of each of the tool slide 15 or the second feed driving motor 32, the processing tool 27 loaded on the tool holder 26 of the tool slide 15 is caused to shift in a direction parallel with the axis of the spindle 14 or in a direction normal with the axis in order to perform a predetermined processing operation against the work W.

[0037] In this way, the tool holder 26 of each of the tool slide 15 can be shifted in a dual direction respectively, and consequently the lathe may permit all tool slides 15 to have a more freedom during a processing operation than that in the traditional device. Moreover, all of these tool slides 15 are arranged at the head stock 13 side, and thus it is possible for the traditional multi spindle automatic lathe as shown in Fig. 4 to omit the column and the gear box etc., which would otherwise be positioned to oppose against the head stock, whereby realizing a remarkable reduction in overall dimensions of the lathe. Furthermore, because the column and the gear box etc., are not needed to be located in position where they oppose against the head stock with the tooling zone 34 sandwiched therebetween, the tooling zone and hence the operator's working area can be increased and thereby substantially improving the operating efficiency over the prior automatic lathe.

Claims

1. A multi spindle automatic lathe, wherein said automatic lathe comprises a spindle carrier (12) mounted so as to be freely rotatable in an indexing fashion relative to a head stock (13), a plurality of spindles (14) each of which is mounted to be freely rotatable about the indexing center of the spindle carrier (12) and has a work (W) loaded thereon respectively, and a plurality of tool slides (15) each of which is positioned around said spindle carrier (12) in accordance with each of these spindles (14) and arranged on said head stock (13) to be freely reciprocable in dual directions, one direction in parallel to the axis of the spindle and other direction intersecting the axis of the spindle (14), said tool slides (15) having a tool (27) loaded on said spindle carrier (12) respectively for processing said work (W).

2. A multi spindle automatic lathe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tool slide (15) comprises a plurality of sliding shafts (29) each of which is attached on said head stock (13) to be freely reciprocable in a direction parallel with the axis of the spindle (14), and a plurality of tool holders (26) each of which is attached on the distal end of the sliding shaft (29) to be freely reciprocable in an opposed direction against which said spindle moves, and a plurality of tool holders (26) each of which has the tool (27) loaded on said spindle (14) for processing the work.

3. The multi spindle automatic lathe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spindle (14) is a six-spindles type automatic lathe (11) which has six spindles (14) each being arranged in an equal spacing around an indexing rotary shaft of the spindle carrier (12).

4. The multi spindle automatic lathe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reciprocating movements of said tool slide in a direction parallel with the axis of said spindle (14) and in a direction intersecting with the axis are carried out by means of separate driving means (32) individually.

Drawing